1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices or the like, and particularly, relates to a lighting device for an exposure device for performing photo-exposure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, semiconductor devices have become more minute, and accordingly, environments capable of even more minute working are necessary, with regard to semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses such as exposure devices and the like for manufacturing semiconductor devices and the like. Also, there is a need for improvement in the productivity and manufacturing efficiency of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses.
As such, high-output light source devices are used for improving the productivity and manufacturing efficiency of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, thereby manufacturing and fabricating semiconductor devices with short exposure times.
With conventional exposure devices serving as the semiconductor manufacturing devices, exposure light emitted from the light source thereof is shielded or projected using a shielding device called a shutter, thereby controlling the amount of exposure light to a level appropriate for manufacturing the semiconductor devices and exposing a wafer via a reticle and lens. Normally, the light source for emitting the exposure light has been changed to one that emits a great amount of light, to reduce the amount of time of exposure for obtaining the proper amount of exposure light, thereby increasing the number of wafers processed per unit time, so as to increase productivity and increase the manufacturing efficiency of the exposure apparatus itself.
In this case, the exposure lamp, which is a light source having near-ultraviolet light-emitting properties, so that the amount of electrical power supplied to the exposure lamp is great, has changed from around 1 kW to several kW. Generally, lamps used as light sources for exposure apparatuses are lamps using discharge. A lighting device for lighting the lamp has a part called a starter unit connected thereto for starting the lighting, i.e., the discharge, so as to perform a lighting operation of generating high voltage for starting discharge at the time of the lighting. Also, following starting of the lighting and discharge, a current is constantly applied, thereby maintaining the state of discharge and lighting.
The starter unit generates noise, which affects the exposure apparatus due to the high voltage at the time of starting the lighting and discharge, and there has arisen a concern that this might cause malfunctioning of the exposure apparatus, damage to the electronic parts of the exposure apparatus, and so forth. Generally speaking, there are normally three types of noise caused by generation of high voltage for lighting and discharge: that generated from the lighting device itself including the starter unit, that generated from cables connecting the lighting device and the lamp, and that generated from the lamp itself.
In recent years, the amount of electrical power supplied to the exposure lamp has increased, and accordingly, the high voltage at the time of starting the lighting and the current constantly flowing are both greater, so the noise generated also increases.
First, with regard to the noise generated from the lighting device itself, the entire lighting device is enclosed in a metal housing, so noise leaking out from the lighting device can be kept to a level not greater than that with conventional arrangements by means of grounding the housing or so forth, even with greater levels of noise being generated.
Second, with regard to the noise generated from the cables connecting the lamp with the lighting device, the increased electrical power being supplied to the lamp means that the current flowing through the cables is also greater, so the cables must be upgraded to cables one or two steps heavier. Further shielding the heavier cables results in even bulkier cables and creates a problem of increased space that is required for the bulkier cables.
Third, with regard to the noise generated from the lamp itself, the lamp house unit where the lamp is disposed is also contained in a metal housing similar to that of the lighting device, so noise leaking out from the lamp box can be kept to a level not greater than that with conventional arrangements by means of grounding the housing and so forth, even with greater levels of noise being generated, as with the case of the lighting device. Also, an increase in the size of the lamp results in increased heat generated from the lamp itself and increased heat generated from the electrical power source unit within the lighting device, meaning the cooling devices for cooling these elements must be disposed at various locations, so the increased cooling devices and increased space required for the increased cooling devices have become problematic as well.
The present invention has been made in light of the above problems, and accordingly, it is an object thereof to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus whereby generation of noise accompanying increased electrical power supplied to the lamp is maintained at a level equal to or less than that of conventional arrangements, and the space required for installing increasingly larger semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses is maintained at a scale equal to or smaller than that of conventional arrangements, thereby lightening the overall task of installing the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including the related cables.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus whereby the efficiency of the cooling device (temperature-adjusting device) is improved, and electrical power used for the cooling (temperature adjusting) is reduced, and thus conserved.
To this end, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprises a light source and a lighting device, the lighting device comprises an electrical power source unit for supplying electricity to the light source and a starter unit for lighting the light source, wherein the starter unit has a metal piece for connecting the lighting device to the light source.
Also, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprises: a light source; a lighting device for lighting the light source; and a connector for connecting the light source and the lighting device with a metal piece.
The light source may be a discharge lamp, the light source and the lighting device may be disposed within a single housing, and the housing may have outer walls provided with electromagnetic shielding and a configuration of copper wire mesh sandwiched between thermal insulating material, the copper wire mesh being grounded.
The metal piece may be disposed at a side wherein high voltage is applied for lighting the light source. Also, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus may further have a mechanism for integrally driving the light source and the lighting device.
The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus may further comprise means for changing the positional relation between the light source and an optical element disposed near the light source.
Also, the temperature of the light source and the lighting device may be adjusted using air of the ambient atmosphere outside the housing, taken into the housing from a single air intake and subjected to temperature adjustment with a single temperature adjusting means.
The light source and the lighting device may be subjected to temperature adjustment in the order of the lighting device first and then the light source, using the taken in air.
The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the second aspect may further comprise a computer having a display, a network interface, and networking software, wherein data communication of maintenance information regarding the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus can be performed via a computer network. Here, the networking software may provide, on the display, a user interface for accessing a maintenance database which is provided by a vendor or user of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and which is connected to an external network outside of a plant wherein the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is installed, thereby enabling information to be obtained from the database via the external network.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device manufacturing method comprises a step of installing, in a semiconductor manufacturing plant, a set of manufacturing apparatuses for performing various processes, including the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, and a step of manufacturing semiconductor devices by a plurality of processes using the set of manufacturing apparatuses.
The semiconductor device manufacturing method may further comprise a step of connecting the set of manufacturing apparatuses by a Local Area Network, and a step of performing data communication of information relating to at least one apparatus of the set of manufacturing apparatuses between the Local Area Network and the external network outside of the semiconductor manufacturing plant.
A database, which is provided by a vendor or user of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus may be accessed via the external network and maintenance information for the manufacturing apparatus can be obtained by data communication, or data communication may be performed with a semiconductor manufacturing plant other than the semiconductor manufacturing plant, via the external network, so as to manage production.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor manufacturing plant comprises: a set of manufacturing apparatuses for performing various processes, the set including the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention; a Local Area Network connecting the set of manufacturing apparatuses; and a gateway enabling access to an external network outside of the plant from the Local Area Network, wherein data communication of information relating to at least one apparatus of the set of manufacturing apparatuses is performed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a maintenance method for the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention installed in a semiconductor manufacturing plant comprises: a step of a vendor or user of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus providing a maintenance database connected to an external network outside of the semiconductor manufacturing plant; a step of permitting access to the maintenance database from within the semiconductor manufacturing plant via the external network; and a step of transmitting maintenance information accumulated in the maintenance database to the semiconductor manufacturing plant side via the external network.
In the above configuration, the lighting device power source unit for lighting the light source lamp is disposed below the lamp box and the light source lamp, with the starter unit for lighting the lamp being disposed integrally with the lighting device above the power source unit. Also a connecting metal piece for connecting the light source lamp is provided for the starter unit itself, and electrical power is supplied from the lighting device electrical power source to the light source lamp using this metal piece. Also, this metal piece can be used as a lamp fixing metal piece for physically fixing the lamp. The positional relation of these components are, from the bottom, the lighting device electrical power source unit, above which is the starter unit, and above which is the light source lamp.
Also, the lighting device power source unit and the starter unit having the light source lamp connecting metal piece are built into the same metal housing, thereby omitting a cable connecting the starter unit and light source lamp, which existed in conventional arrangements. Also, with respect to the matter of heat generation, the light source lamp generates more heat than the lighting device power source unit, by several times. Accordingly, air which has cooled the outer walls of the lighting device power source unit can be used for cooling the lamp unit, and with the present invention, the lamp unit and the lighting device power source unit are formed integrally, so the air which has cooled the walls of the lighting device power source unit is not exhausted, but is sent to the lamp unit and used for cooling the lamp unit with the same cooling device, following which the hot exhaust is vented by a hot air vent.
This omitting of the cable due to direct connection to the light source lamp and using the same cooling device (cooler) means that generation of noise accompanying increased electrical power supplied to the lamp is maintained at a level equal to or less than that of conventional arrangements, and the space required for installing increasingly larger semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses is maintained at a scale equal to or smaller than that of conventional arrangements, thereby lightening the overall task of installing the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including the cables, which achieves a first object of the present invention. Also, the efficiency of the cooling device (temperature-adjusting device) is improved, and electrical power used for the cooling (temperature adjusting) is reduced and thus conserved, which achieves a second object of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.